Malik Abid, of Valley Stream and Nassau County’s Human Right commissioner, volunteered at a Red Cross shelter during Hurricane Sandy.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many Valley Streamers stepped up to help others without seeking anything in return. The need for volunteers won’t diminish for a while, as tens of thousands of Long Islanders face long-term uncertainty.

Valley Stream’s Auxiliary Police Department is made up entirely of volunteers — 28 of them — and its members put in hundreds of extra hours of unpaid work following the storm. Rich Vela, commanding officer of the unit, said there was a lot to do, from helping residents leave their flood damaged homes, to providing extra security in darkened neighborhoods.

A few streets in the south end of the village suffered serious coastal flooding, including Hungry Harbor Road. Vela became aware of a 91-year-old woman trapped in her home there, but the day after the storm the water was still so high that he couldn’t get to her. He was frustrated. He wanted to help and get her and other neighbors to safety.

“I made a promise when I got down there,” he said. “I told them I was coming back.”

Vela did. He returned at about 9 p.m. on Oct. 30, when the flood waters went down. He found the National Guard, who was there in a Humvee, and together they got the residents out. Vela said he doesn’t know where everyone went, as they were taken to shelters by the National Guard.

Valley Stream’s Auxiliary Police officers are typically asked to work a minimum of six hours per week. In the days after the storm, many of them were working 18-hour shifts, all for no pay. Vela said it was important to maintain safety in the village, especially with so many areas of it without power for several days. Auxiliary Police officers maintained a steady presence to prevent crime.

Malik Abid, a Valley Stream resident for the past 10 years, volunteered at one of the shelters established by the Red Cross. He spent four days, Oct. 29 though Nov. 1, working at Nassau Community College, where thousands of people sought refuge. He served food, and spent time talking to people to try and lift their spirits. He heard some heartbreaking stories. “The essence I got was they were not completely prepared for this level of disaster,” he said.